1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photograph album page and system and more particularly pertains to displaying a plurality of photographs of a wide variety of sizes in a convenient manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of photograph album pages of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, photograph album pages of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of displaying photographs through a wide variety of methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,026 to Shaine discloses a method of making pages of a photo album. U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,522 to Moir discloses a method for producing a photo album page.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a photograph album page and system that allows displaying a plurality of photographs of a wide variety of sizes in a convenient manner.
In this respect, the photograph album page and system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of displaying a plurality of photographs of a wide variety of sizes in a convenient manner.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved photograph album page and system which can be used for displaying a plurality of photographs of a wide variety of sizes in a convenient manner. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of photograph album pages of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved photograph album page and system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved photograph album page and system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises pages for displaying a plurality of photographs of a wide variety of sizes in a convenient manner. A rectangular backing sheet is provided for each page. The backing sheet is fabricated of a flexible opaque material. The preferred material is paper. The sheet has an upper edge and a parallel lower edge at least 6 inches in width. The sheet also has an interior edge and a parallel exterior edge at least 12 inches in height. Each backing sheet has an upper surface and a lower surface. Each backing sheet also has a vertical centerline and a horizontal centerline forming an upper region between the horizontal centerline and the upper edge and a lower region between the horizontal centerline and the lower edge. A plurality of small primary holes are formed through each backing sheet. The small primary holes include a lower line of two horizontally aligned holes between the horizontal centerline and the lower edge. The small primary holes also include an upper line of two horizontally aligned holes between the horizontal centerline and the upper edge. The upper line and the lower line thus form an upper photograph receiving area between the upper edge and the upper line. An intermediate photograph receiving area is formed between the upper line and the lower line. A lower photograph receiving area is formed between the lower line and the lower edge. All three receiving areas are of an essentially common size. A plurality of small secondary holes are formed through each backing sheet. The small secondary holes include three vertically aligned holes spaced adjacent to the vertical centerline. The uppermost hole is formed within the intermediate receiving area closer to the lower line than to the upper line. The lowermost hole is formed within the lower receiving area closer to the lower edge than to the lower line. The intermediate hole is formed within the lower receiving area intermediate the uppermost and lowermost holes. A rectangular transparent bag is provided for each page. The bag is fabricated of a flexible plastic material. The preferred material for the bag is polypropylene. The bag functions to receive and display photographs. Each bag is formed of an upper layer overlying the upper surface of the sheet and a lower layer overlying the lower surface of the sheet. Each bag has a closed upper edge adjacent to the upper edge of the sheet. Each bag also has a closed lower edge adjacent to the lower edge of the sheet. Each bag also has a closed exterior edge adjacent to the exterior edge of the sheet. Finally, each bag has an open interior edge receiving the sheet and spaced from the interior edge of the sheet for the passage of photographs to be received and supported by the bag. Next provided are heat sealed couplings between each bag and the primary holes. The heat sealed couplings form a unitive page with three similarly sized pockets on both the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet. The secondary holes function as alignment guides for smaller photographs. A die cut slit is next provided. The die cut slit extends through each layer of the bag. The die cut slit is parallel with, and a short distance from, the upper edge of the bag. The die cut slit allows for the passage of panorama sized photographs there through. Next provided is a hinge plate for each sheet. The hinge plate is fabricated of a relatively stiff material. The preferred material for the hinge plate is cardboard. The hinge plate is formed in a rectangular configuration. The hinge plate has an inner surface and an outer surface. The hinge plate also has upper and lower and interior edges adjacent to the upper and lower and interior edges of the sheet. The hinge plate also has an exterior edge adjacent to the interior edge of the bag. Next provided is a first strip of double faced adhesive. The first strip of adhesive couples each inner surface of each hinge plate to a sheet in an uncovered region remote from the bag. Next provided is a second strip of double faced adhesive. This second strip of double faced adhesive is coupled to the outer surface of each hinge plate for coupling to a superposed adjacent sheet. Lastly, a peel strip is provided over the adhesive of each strip prior to use.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved photograph album page and system which has all of the advantages of the prior art photograph album pages of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved photograph album page and system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved photograph album page and system which is of durable and reliable constructions.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved photograph album page and system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such photograph album page and system economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a photograph album page and system for displaying a plurality of photographs of a wide variety of sizes in a convenient manner.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a photograph album page and system which is adapted to be coupled with similar pages for displaying a plurality of photographs of a wide variety of sizes in a convenient manner. A rectangular backing sheet has an upper and a lower edge and also an interior edge and an exterior edge with an upper and a lower surface. A plurality of primary holes are formed through the sheet thus forming photograph receiving areas. A rectangular transparent bag is formed of an upper layer overlying the upper surface of the sheet and a lower layer overlying the lower surface of the sheet with closed upper, lower, and exterior edges and an open interior edge for receiving the sheet and for the passage of photographs. Heat sealed couplings are provided between the bag and the primary holes. A hinge plate of a relatively stiff material, is formed in a rectangular configuration with an inner surface and an outer surface and with upper and lower and interior edges adjacent to the upper and lower and interior edges of the sheet and with an exterior edge. A first strip of double faced adhesive is provided for coupling the inner surface of each hinge plate to the page. A second strip of double faced adhesive is provided for coupling the outer surface of the hinge plate to an adjacent hinge plate.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.